Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-26
TO c1RCUMvENT STUPID CLERKS.

Mr.. Caminetti has introduced in the
Senate a bill to more eflectually secure
prompt returns of the result of the cleo
ton for Governor and Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor. 1t provides that the Clerk of each
county shall make out three certified copies
of the recorded returns within ten days
after the local canvass of the vote and for
ward one each to the Speaker and the
Secretary of State by mail, and one copy
to the Speaker by express; and shall also
file with the County Auditor an affidavit
OF the fact of such forwarding. The re-
turns sent to the Secretary of State are to
be delivered by that official to the Speaker
This is all well enough, but an essential
feature is omitted-the penalty for failure
to follow these directions. Experience has
proved that if the law specifies every de
tail of election returns; gives the Ian
guage to be employed therein; tells the
officer Just what to write and where TO
write it upon blanks furnished by the
State; that if the State supplies addressed
envelopes and paper properly ruled and
headed, and if in each blank is printed
clear specific direction what it shall con-
tain; if on each envelope or sheet is print
ed in bold characters just what 10 do with
that particular piece of paper, still some
one or more Of the County Clerks will dis
obey these specific orders. There never
has been series of election returns sent
up to the Capitol which were all complete
and properly made out.
There is a perversity in this matter at
iaching to election officials that it is i'm
possible to account for We have known
such officials in this county, for instance,
to seal up both tally lists in the deposit
envelope" though there stared them in
the face the explicit direction on the en-
velope, put into this envelope one tally
list only" We have known them to stu
pidly seal up returns without keeping any
abstract Of the totals, thus preventing the
public from learning TIE facts of the out
come of the election until the date of the
official canvass. In a recent Presidential
election one County Clerk in California
failed to send the returns to the Secretary
of State at all, and they never were fled
Now, in view OF the fact that the subject
is an all-important one, and that the
choosing Of officials shall not be placed at
the mercy Of a stupid or venal clerk, why
no; require some official body composed
of several members to make out the re-
turns and forward them? For instance,
when the Supervisors make the canvass
and that they will never fail to DO, be-
cause Of the interest of local candidates-
why not require them to notify the Su-
perior Judge of the county of the fact
and attend before him in open Court or in
chambers, and in the presence of at least
majority of the Board, the Clerk and the
County Auditor, fill out the blanks, in
Close, seal and direct them; after which re-
quire the Sheriff, Clerk and Auditor or
three other officials, jointly to mail them
by post and express And for failure to
do these duties attach a penalty, such as
forfeiture of office.
There may appear to be a great deal of
machinery and red tape about such pro-
cess as suggested, but let it be borne in
mind that ascertainment of the will of the
people as expressed at the ballot-box is
one of the most vital of duties that it
lies at the very base of republican institu-
tions and is substructural to the govern
ment of the nation Moreover, few
hours of strict and eiearly-defned dutv-
doing on the part of weli-paid officials is
nothing as against such annoyances as oc-
Cured a few weeks ago in the matter of
ascertaining officially the result of the
Gubernatorial election. and which annoy
ance cost the State some thousands of
dollars